B.C. marks official day of mourning following Lapu-Lapu Day Festival tragedy

Friday will be a day to pause and reflect for many people, as B.C. marks an official day of mourning in light of last Saturday’s deadly car-ramming attack in Vancouver that left 11 people dead and dozens more injured.

The day comes as shattered communities near and far try to pick up the pieces.

Maita Santiago was born in the Philippines before coming to Canada and making B.C. her home. The Burnaby city councillor says everyone is in disbelief and shock.

“I also heard a lot of stories from folks who told me how they were there earlier that day. I spoke to one person who said it was just a matter of seconds; had they taken another step, they could have easily been among those killed or injured. So, this feeling of what if? A lot of anxiety,” she explained.

She tells 1130 NewsRadio the vigils and community gatherings have helped provide a lot of comfort as many struggle with the violence that took place at what was a family-friendly event.

“I think it could be a lifetime for some. With each passing day, especially as we learn more about those who were killed, or those who are still fighting for their lives, or those who saw something, up to the first responders, the healthcare workers, it has a really, really big impact on all of us emotionally. It will take time.”

Santiago admits there’s a chance some people may never heal as they seek closure.

“When I talk to folks, some are, as they go about their day, they find unexpectedly something still triggers them,” she explained. “If they see a crowd or they hear a speeding car, so our message is please talk to someone, seek help. Even if you don’t feel like you need to, because often times they’re like, ‘No, no, no, I’m alright.’ But after the story they tell, we’re like, ‘No, please go talk to someone even if you think you’re OK.'”

She tells us she welcomes the day of mourning and supports the investigation that’s underway. Both the City of Vancouver and the Vancouver Police Department have begun an internal review of what happened, which will include looking at permitting, site safety, planning, and emergency response. The review will also look into ways to ensure that this never happens again.

“It’s one of the really rare times that we can come together and show our culture to our neighbours, and where everybody feels proud, and you have a wonderful day. We need to keep doing those, because life doesn’t end,” Santiago said. “We need to keep coming together, but for us to do that, a really, really important step is to make sure we’ve done a comprehensive, robust, full review and so we’re able to learn from what happened, so we have a sense of justice.”

Santiago understands people also feel fear, but remarks events like the Lapu-Lapu Day Festival are an important part of what makes the community so dynamic.

“The Filipino community, as with other immigrant communities, we’re welcoming. We invite people in. We want to because we want them to learn about us, and we want to learn about them. I think that’s what makes our province and our country so vibrant and a wonderful place to be,” she explained.

Through her own personal grief, Santiago has been able to find a silver lining.

“One thing about the Filipino community is I feel we are at the same time both hyper-visible and invisible. By hyper-visible, I mean often times there’s only one image of what the Filipino community is or just one perception. I think one thing following this tragedy and the outpouring of amazing support to the Filipino community is that I’ve never felt so completely seen by a broad breath of people in Canada. That’s been comforting.”

The 30-year-old suspect in this case is set to appear in court Friday afternoon. He’s been charged with eight counts of second-degree murder, with more charges expected.

–With files from Srushti Gangdev.